Romans 5:7

hOTI in Rom 5.8 REMA THEOU Hi again:Rom 5.7 contains two occurrences of GAR. Both are tagged as explanatoryconjunctions in Accordance. Does the second instance simply introduce aclause parallel to the first clause introduced by GAR, or is there adistictive usage involved?– Steven Lo VulloMadison, WI

REMA THEOU PANTES In Mt.26:27 > > Hi again:> > Rom 5.7 contains two occurrences of GAR. Both are tagged as explanatory> conjunctions in Accordance. Does the second instance simply introduce a> clause parallel to the first clause introduced by GAR, or is there a> distictive usage involved?> —> > Steven Lo Vullo> Madison, WIGAR clauses are not parallel. The second clause further elaborates a word ora topic from the previous clause. (There are 2-3 instances in the GNT wherethe preceding clause is parenthetical, and in that case the GAR connects toa word in the clause before the parenthesis).Although the basic function of GAR is explanatory, this needs to beunderstood in a sense wider than just logical. GAR introduces furthersupport for what has just been said and builds up background information.In Rom 5:6-8 the first GAR in v. 6 picks up on the topic of “love of God”from v. 5. V. 6 then says that this love of God is shown by Christ who waswilling to die for sinners/unrighteous people. The GAR in 7a then picks upon the topic “dying for an unrighteous person” and says that in normal lifeyou wouldn’t even expect a person to be willing to die for a righteousperson. The second GAR picks up on MOLIS (scarcely) and says that maybe onewould be willing to die for a specially good man. So, it is a furthercomment on 7a. But both of these background comments set the scene for v. 8that repeats and emphasizes that Christ did die for us unrighteous people,and this truly demonstrated the character of Christ’s love. It was by Christdying for unrighteous people that God demonstrated his love for us. Thiskind of love is highlighted by the contrast to the highest form of humanlove.Iver Larsen